On Sunday night at the Salons Hoche in Paris, more than 200 people gathered together to support Israel’s premier fully-volunteer emergency medical service (EMS) organization. In attendance was Israel’s ambassador to France Yael German and Israeli actress Liraz Charhi, star of the hit TV series Tehran, who emceed part of the event.
“It’s an honor for me to be a part of this event,” said Israeli actress Liraz Charhi, star of the hit TV series Tehran. “United Hatzalah has been accomplishing incredible work for a long time, based on a simple but brilliant idea: reducing response time in order to save as many lives as possible. I have great admiration for Eli Beer and all the volunteers that make it all possible.”
The gathered crowd attended the first annual gala held in the country by United Hatzalah in support of the work done by the organization’s network of 6,200 emergency medical volunteers in Israel. With this event, the organization sought to introduce the French public to its lifesaving activities and engage with the Paris community.
Ambassador German said during the event: “United Hatzalah is a special organization that saves lives every day in Israel. Thanks to its fleet of motorcycles, volunteers are able to arrive at the scene of emergencies in record time. It was very important for me to be present at this first Gala in Paris to express my appreciation for the organization’s heads and volunteers.”
Throughout the night, the testimonies of United Hatzalah President and Founder Eli Beer, United Hatzalah France Director Samuel Arrouas, and several volunteers from the organization who were all in attendance emphasized the unique model and innovations of the organization, whose average response time is less than 3 minutes throughout Israel and less than 90 seconds in large metropolitan areas. The incredibly quick response time is thanks to the network of volunteer EMTs throughout the country, its cutting-edge geolocation technologies, and its fleet of “ambucycles” and other nimble emergency vehicles.
“Israel’s friends in France responded to our call with enthusiasm and generosity,” observed Arrouas, who organized the event. “We are convinced that the momentum created this evening can help make the French public a major supporter of our lifesaving activities.”
Those in attendance made generous donations to the organization that totaled nearly 450,000 euros, all of which will go towards purchasing new vehicles and medical equipment, as well as training additional volunteers, in order to support the organization’s lifesaving efforts.
“This first Gala in Paris is a historic evening for us,” concurred Beer. “We are very proud and enthusiastic to take a step forward in our relations with the French public. I would like to warmly thank the entire team that contributed to the success of this event as well as all those who honored us with their presence. Thanks to the generosity they have shown, our guests this evening will now be ambassadors of United Hatzalah in France and our partners in lifesaving.”
To support United Hatzalah’s lifesaving efforts, please click here.
